toil 1 of 3

toil

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in tangle
usually toils plural something that catches and holds a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair

Synonyms & Similar Words

toil

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun toil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of toil are drudgery, grind, labor, travail, and work. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When would drudgery be a good substitute for toil?

Although the words drudgery and toil have much in common, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than toil?

The words grind and toil can be used in similar contexts, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

Where would labor be a reasonable alternative to toil?

The words labor and toil are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When could travail be used to replace toil?

While the synonyms travail and toil are close in meaning, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

When is it sensible to use work instead of toil?

The meanings of work and toil largely overlap; however, work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of toil
Noun
This has been a turbulent window for Villa, not only against the backdrop of such challenges but also the toils involved in moving current players on. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 As a result, there is no palpable benefit from a technological revolution that was supposed to free Americans from toil and make their lives easier and better. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
Many CEOs will have no choice but to devote their efforts to guessing, interpreting and trying to influence what the president wants, rather than toiling on behalf of their shareholders and customers. Senior Fellow, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025 Bulls are constantly toiling away at endeavors that speak to their artistry. Lisa Stardust, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
  • At Villa Park, his frailty was epic, defiant, even as his bandmates labored drastically to summon the power of 50 years earlier.
    James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
  • While such a scenario sounds potentially maudlin and manipulative, Lucero — who wrote the film from a personal place — never allows that to happen by making the characters complex and flawed, and laboring under real-life issues.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Almost half of those who abided by boundaries (45%) reported low burnout, compared to 6% of those who struggled to do so.
    Samantha Dewalt, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chronic striving has its downsides, though.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • When multiple businesses strive to outdo each other, the result is better products, improved services and more choices for consumers.
    Levi King, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Alfred is arguably the second-best 200-meter runner among the three and will work hard to secure a gold medal at these championships.
    Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Long said six campus police officers were working the event, including some in plainclothes who were monitoring the crowd.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on toil

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